Of course it will come as scant consolation that the trophy he paraded 12 months ago is under lock and key across the city.
But there’s a compliment that really must be paid to Philippe Clement in any case, now that the acrid smoke has cleared from the air above Hampden Park on Glasgow’s south side. Yes, the Rangers boss will be licking his wounds and the pain is likely to remain for some time. This must have felt like agony. And yet even though it ended in abject misery and suffering for the Belgian boss and his players, in time they might look back upon this day as their very own redemption derby.
On a personal level, Clement has come through the biggest week of his Rangers career with his own credentials restored. Perhaps even enhanced and raised to a whole new height. And that’s quite a remarkable achievement given that it ended late yesterday afternoon with yet another Old Firm kick in the crotch.
That’s six times he’s crossed managerial swords with Brendan Rodgers and Clement is still waiting to chalk up a first victory. Normally, those are the kind of numbers which would bring about a clamour for change. But the manner in which he has gone about his business, against Rodgers and the ghost of Celtic past in Ange Postecoglou on Thursday night, suggests there’s some life in him and his team after all.
It’s a similar story for the likes of Ianis Hagi and Nico Raskin who were having the last rights read on their Ibrox careers not so very long ago. Raskin may be small in stature but his contribution to this spectacular Premier Sports Cup Final was no less than gargantuan.
Hagi too carried the fight to a Celtic side which has simply forgotten how to lose. Ultimately, it was this inbuilt knack for survival which would
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